February 6, 2026 | Messianic World Update | U.S.-Iran Talks, Israel Strikes Hamas & Hezbollah, and Rising Tensions in the Middle East

Shalom, everyone, I’m Monte Judah with Lion and Lamb Ministries, bringing you the latest Messianic World Update. Today’s date is Friday, February 6th of the year 2026.

This week has been filled with significant developments in the Middle East, and as always, we want to look at these events through the lens of Scripture, discernment, and the reality that we are living in prophetic times. Things continue moving quickly, and it’s becoming clearer every week that the nations are being positioned exactly as the prophets described.

The headline story this week is the United States entering negotiations with Iran, with talks taking place in Oman. These discussions are reportedly being led by Steve Witkoff meeting directly with the Iranian foreign minister. The stated goal is to avoid another U.S. strike on Iran and prevent Israel from launching another major military action.

Now, let me be very clear: Iran wants negotiations, not because they have suddenly become reasonable, but because they don’t want to be hit again. Iran understands they are vulnerable right now. Their regime is under pressure, their economy is strained, and their ability to project power through their terrorist proxies has been weakened.

The U.S. position going into these negotiations has been communicated to Israel and is being described as firm: Iran is not permitted to have nuclear weapons or continue a nuclear program, they are not permitted to develop long-range missile capabilities, and they are not permitted to fund proxies and terrorist groups across the Middle East.

Those are strong terms—and they should be the minimum terms.

But Iran’s response tells you everything you need to know. They are already threatening that if they are touched again, it will mean “all-out war.” That is not the language of peace. That is the language of intimidation. Iran is implying they would strike U.S. bases across the region, which would pull multiple nations into conflict. And at the same time, Iran is insisting they will only discuss the nuclear issue, and nothing else.

So already, we see the pattern: Iran wants to narrow the scope, delay, and survive.

There were also rumors this week that Russia might offer to take Iranian nuclear stockpile materials and store them outside Iran. That may sound like a “compromise,” but it’s not. Iran has proven repeatedly that they cannot be trusted. They are masters of deception, delay, and manipulation.

The meeting was originally supposed to happen in Ankara, Turkey. Turkey wanted to host it, and that tells you something about Turkey’s own ambitions and alliances. But the negotiations were suddenly canceled, which immediately raised alarms across the world. Many believed war was imminent. President Trump had previously made it clear: negotiate, or face military consequences.

But then, just as quickly, the talks were back on—this time in Oman.

Iran’s reasoning was simple: before the so-called “12-day war,” they had nuclear discussions in Oman, and they wanted a continuation of that format. They want to frame this as “just an extension” rather than a broader reckoning with their missile programs and their terrorist sponsorship.

Personally, I believe sending Witkoff into these negotiations is a fool’s errand. Iran is not interested in reform. Iran is interested in survival. They will say whatever they must say to delay judgment and strengthen their position.

This week I also had the opportunity to interview Ruthie Blum from the Jewish News Syndicate. She is an award-winning journalist and former advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and she has sharp insight into what is really happening behind the scenes.

She made an important point: beyond nuclear weapons and missiles, there is the moral issue of the Iranian people themselves. Thousands of innocent Iranians have been slaughtered in the streets of Tehran and other cities. President Trump previously addressed the Iranian people and told them, “Keep going. Help is on the way.” Netanyahu has made similar statements.

That creates an expectation. And from a moral standpoint, America and Israel do have an obligation not to abandon those people who are risking everything to stand against an oppressive Islamic regime.

You’ll be able to see that full interview on The Lion’s Share on our YouTube channel and at LionandLamb.tv. 

As I record this broadcast, we are still waiting on results from the Friday meeting in Oman. The expectation is that Iran will do what it always does: delay, delay, delay. They will promise to keep talking, schedule another meeting, and attempt to outlast American and Israeli resolve.

That is their strategy. Not peace—delay.

And the question is whether the Trump administration will recognize it quickly enough.

Meanwhile, Iran has been testing the limits militarily. This week Iran sent a drone from its territory out into the Arabian Sea, where the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier battle group is operating. The drone approached the carrier group directly and appeared to be a suicide drone—one of these one-way kamikaze drones meant to strike and explode.

The United States responded quickly. An F-35 was launched and shot the drone down. Now, think about the economic contrast: a $70 million aircraft was used to destroy a $70,000 drone. That is the nature of modern warfare. It’s not always about cost—it’s about threat and deterrence.

Iran also sent a drone and fast boats into the Strait of Hormuz to harass a U.S. ship transporting military supplies. A U.S. destroyer escort chased them off, and the vessel escaped safely. But these are calculated provocations. Iran is trying to keep pressure on the U.S., create tension, and show the world they can disrupt global shipping routes if they choose.

This is why the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most strategically dangerous choke points on earth.

The region is on edge. The only reason we have not already seen a major exchange of fire is because there appears to be discipline coming from national leadership on all sides. But the forces are positioned. They are ready.

CENTCOM forces are fully prepared. There are more than 400 Tomahawk cruise missiles positioned on ships, ready to be launched. Multiple attack squadrons are in place. Air defense systems are deployed, including THAAD units and Patriot missile batteries. And we haven’t even discussed the potential involvement of B-1, B-2, or B-52 bomber missions.

And beyond that, Israel is ready as well.

The real question is this: if Iran is hit militarily, would the regime collapse?

It is difficult to topple a hardened regime like that, but Iran is weaker than it has been in decades—possibly the weakest point since the Islamic revolution over 50 years ago. If Iran collapses, the domino effect could be massive. Hezbollah could collapse. Hamas could collapse. Much of the terror infrastructure that Iran funds could disintegrate.

Iran is a central pillar of instability in the Middle East. And if that pillar falls, the entire structure changes.

But if Iran survives, and the U.S. is forced to withdraw its forces without results, it will damage American prestige and embolden Iran and its allies. That would endanger Israel even further.

President Trump’s situation right now is like someone reaching into a cookie jar—he wants to pull out a victory, but the question is whether he can pull his hand out without losing face. If he withdraws with nothing accomplished, it will be humiliating and dangerous.

In Gaza this week, Hamas committed another ceasefire violation and attacked Israeli troops, wounding an IDF soldier. Hezbollah is also trying to reorganize in Lebanon. Hamas is rearming and repositioning. We even saw evidence of Hamas transporting weapons using ambulances—yet again showing their pattern of hiding behind civilians and humanitarian systems.

Israel responded with strikes against Hamas and Hezbollah targets. Israel knows where these players are. They have intelligence. They are watching closely.

This week Israel was successful in killing a terrorist responsible for the murder of hostage Noa Marciano. She was a young woman taken hostage, injured, and held in a Gaza hospital. This Hamas terrorist entered that hospital and brutally killed her.

This is the kind of evil Israel is fighting. This is not a political disagreement. This is not a border dispute. This is a war against a terror ideology.

President Trump’s “Board of Peace” and technocratic committee meant to manage Gaza’s future continues moving slowly. Every time there is another big meeting, there is plenty of discussion—but little action. There is still no effective plan to disarm Hamas or deal with the tunnel networks that allow Hamas to operate underground like a hidden army.

Until Hamas is disarmed, Gaza cannot be stabilized. It is that simple.

Netanyahu continues trying to thread the needle: cooperate with President Trump, express gratitude for U.S. support, and at the same time protect Israel’s long-term security. Israel’s objective remains unchanged—Hamas must be eliminated and disarmed. That has not been forgotten.

The U.S. also announced this week a major arms sale to Israel—$6.5 billion worth of military equipment, including Apache gunships. This is significant. Apache helicopters give Israel an agile platform for dealing with smaller targets, countering drones, and striking terrorist operations quickly—especially in Judea and Samaria.

Israel is also facing the reality that it must develop its own ammunition manufacturing capabilities. In past years, the U.S. maintained a major operating base in central Israel stocked with ammunition and supplies. This was a lesson learned from the 1973 war. But Israel has depleted much of those reserves due to the Gaza war, Hezbollah conflict, and prior operations against Iran.

Even with U.S. support, Israel experienced ammunition shortages.

So now Israel is acknowledging it must build its own capacity. The U.S. also announced an additional $6 billion grant to Israel to assist.

This is first-class support, and Israel is thankful.

Back here in the United States, we are also seeing troubling cultural unrest. ICE agents enforcing immigration law are being called “Nazis” by protesters and even some political leaders.

That is unacceptable.

As someone from a Jewish background, I can tell you that “Nazi” is not a casual insult. It is a historical reality tied to the Holocaust and the mass murder of millions. To throw that term around is ignorance at best and malicious propaganda at worst.

If someone insists on making comparisons, then the more accurate historical analogy is that violent protesters harassing law enforcement resemble fascist movements, like the Nazi brownshirts who terrorized people and other authority figures  in the streets.

Scripture warns us about these days. The prophets said there would come a time when the righteous would be called guilty and the guilty would be called righteous. That is exactly what we are seeing. Law enforcement enforcing law is condemned, while criminals are portrayed as victims and heroes.

We are living in strange days.

And because of that, we must pray. We must remain grounded. We must stay faithful. We must not be swept away by propaganda and emotional manipulation.

Pray for Israel. Pray for the Middle East. Pray for our country.

My anticipation is that things could go either way—war or no war. But either way, the situation remains dangerous. Iran is not a peaceful nation. Hamas is not a peace partner. Hezbollah is not a political movement. These are terror organizations driven by ideology.

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In the meantime, we will continue watching closely this weekend for developments in the Middle East and around the world.

Shabbat Shalom to all of you